This person is really angry. And likes to photograph men's bums a lot. Whilst getting very angry about those bums. All those bums, getting in the way of his life, stopping him from being the man he wants to be. 'Aargh' he says to himself, 'why can't I stop thinking about men's bums!!!''

Missed that one. I'm sure all the contributors are scrupulous about doing that. The crazy thing about the original photograph of the triathlete bunch is that it appears to be an easy pass from that position. Good view of the road ahead. I can only assume that the 'passenger' was too busy taking a picture to get on with the overtake.

2 abreast is safer - more road presence, legal and makes a given number of cyclists easier to overtake because the overall length of the group is shorter.
It's also more efficient - and was how club cyclists were riding before most of today's drivers' grandparents were even born! Certainly before cars came into mass usage in the UK after WW2...

The levels of ignorance apparent in the anti-cycling lobby are quite shocking.

On the other hand, with significantly more people riding, much more local and national political attention being paid to growing cycle use, social media giving us a voice against people like Emma Way, AA changing the way they teach new drivers to be cyclist-aware, and now even Jeremy Clarkson appearing to throw in the towel, it does feel like the momentum is beginning to turn and the antis are being seen as the ones who are out on their own...

The other day a white van man in a small Berlingo sized van spent so long shouting, swearing and doing the coffee bean shake at two cyclists who were riding 2 abreast while alongside them, that he almost forced me to swerve off the road as he was heading straight for me (I was driving).
It was only because I saw what was happening so had slowed down a lot and tooted at him that he realised where he was (completely on the wrong side of the road) and completed his overtake, while still shouting and swearing.

Not quite sure what his problem was, because the riders held no one up any longer than they would have done had they been single file. They were on a dead straight bit of road and until I 'got in the way', there had been no approaching cars, so the cars in front of this van just overtook as normal and used the whole road.
He decided he'd get all ranty for no good reason, took his eyes of the road and nearly caused an accident, but I guess that's OK because he pays road tax....?

I ................. would never purposely hold up traffic as I know how irate drivers become.

I regularly hold trafic up, if it's not safe to pass I'll stay where the cars nearside wheel would be and stop them. When it's safe to pass they can pass safely using a wider bit of road or the other lane. If it's safe to pass but the road's too narrow/busy to allow them over the central lines I'll pull over to the gutter momenteraly to let them.

If you ride meeky in the gutter thinking it'll appease the swivel eyed loonie fraction of drivers, you're just asking for a wing mirror to the back of the head when one decideds it's safe to pass when it isn't.

Many roads are wide enough for a car to safely overtake a line of single file riders, with oncoming cars.

- wrong. there is enough room to squeeze past not to safely execute an overtake with adaquate room - say i swerve out to avoid a big pothole that may throw me from the bike. - what corrective action will you take when you have no where to go ? that is why you give a cyclist/motorcyclist/scooter rider the same room as a car.

To be fair, as a driver I get pretty annoyed at groups of riders 2 or 3 abreast who insist on making it difficult to overtake them. There's almost a slight arrogance about them.

OH dear here we go

Why nit go out in a group of riders on the road say 7 of you spread out in single file down roads and let me know how often and how many cars just overtake a few then pull in dangerously into the line ans let me know how safe you feel doing this.
When I ride two abreast the second rider is pretty much in primary so there being no one on the inside would make F all difference

"We could be considerate road users and make it easier for you to overtake us when safe to do so, thus allowing you to continue your journey - but we won't - so tough sh*t"

If all they met was considerate drivers whose primary response was to overtake without endangering them they probably would do this. sadly many tomes you have to ride in a manner that stops an impatient inconsiderate **** from endangering your life

if you ever rode on the road you would know this...go one say you cycle too as well as your defence
FWIW when you they get irrate i feel glad i just saved myself from a **** with no consideration for my safety

Seriously car drivers will do all kind of crazy bat shit mental stuff to get past you

Once had a car with a trailer overtake me on ablind bend by being completely on the wrong side of the road [ i was doing 28 mph at the time] and drive straight into a bus. This was my fault for being so wide in the road - Why was i there to stop him overtaking and because when they try this move and see the bus they just pull over into my space and run me over.

I ride two abreast with mates/club on wide open roads, but (in the interests of harmony amongst all road users) we almost always go down to single file if it's holding traffic up.
I have the same attitude as this ^^

I ride in the same place in the road if it's me or if I'm in a pair 1/3 ish from the left. Enough that a car needs to think before overtaking as there is not enough room otherwise. I've had people squeeze past in the most stupid of places and as pointed out by others try and blame me for them nearly hitting oncoming traffic. At least out from the gutter I have somewhere to go.